Global patterns and drivers of plant-soil microbe interactions

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Global Change Biology
• Plant Science

Background:

• Plant-soil feedback (PSF) is crucial for plant community dynamics and structure.
• Understanding global PSF patterns and drivers is key to explaining plant diversity gradients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate global patterns and drivers of plant-soil feedback (PSF) for both woody and non-woody species.
• To assess the influence of plant traits and environmental factors on PSF variation.

Main Methods:

• Compiled a large dataset of 5969 PSF observations from 202 studies worldwide.
• Analyzed PSF variation in relation to plant type (woody vs. non-woody), latitude, and aridity.

Main Results:

• Overall, PSF was negative, influenced by plant attributes and environment.
• Non-woody species exhibited more negative PSF at higher latitudes; woody species showed no latitudinal trend.
• Increased aridity consistently led to more positive PSF for both species types, linked to microbial communities.

Conclusions:

• PSF variation is influenced by soil legacies from climate, consistent across field and greenhouse studies.
• Caution is advised when using PSF to explain latitudinal diversity gradients.
• Aridity significantly impacts plant communities globally by mediating plant-soil microbe interactions.